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				The Significance of Colors As They Appear In The Holy Scriptures M. Stewart

We readily agree that we cannot correctly analyze all the original stones of the breastplate. There seems to be a great deal of disagreement as to their original colors; yet there are two of which we can be very certain. One is the corner stone, the other is the last stone in the breastplate. The corner stone is that of a sardius or sardine and this is always red. It is the symbol of flesh, and immediately as we look at the breastplate of the high priest, with those twelve glittering stones, (each representative of a tribe of Israel), upon his breast as he went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement; we see him taking the problems, the troubles, the sins and trials of the entire nation before Yahweh, seeking forgiveness. It is a beautiful picture, but immediately we think of the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 15:46, where he tells us of the order. He says, "first that which is natural, afterwards that which is spiritual."

We know that in the breastplate we are under the Law of Moses, and it is only fitting as we look at the corner stone of that breastplate that it should be a sardine or sardius -- a red stone, which speaks of mortality. It is important that Christ is called both a sardine and a jasper stone in the book of the Revelation (4:3). He came bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh; he was made in all points like unto his brethren, but later he was immortalized -- he became the jasper stone, i.e. he gained immortality.

Now let us return to the breastplate for just a moment. We can be very sure of the corner stone of the breastplate being a sardius and as we said before, the last stone is a jasper. It is interesting too, to notice that the two center stones are blue in color and of this we can be sure. So the very center of the breastplate, or that which is the controlling factor, is the power or Word of Yahweh.

In the colors as we have them and as agreed by most commentators, it is interesting to follow the progression of color as we go down either side to the jasper stone. For the most part, you see a variation of reds, merging into yellows, then on into blues and finally into that which is green and purple representing the glorified immortal sons of God. Either way you go on the breastplate, to the right and down, or to the left, in all cases it is surrounded by the two blue stones that are in the center (Ex. 28:17). We here have a reproduction of God in the midst of the twelve tribes of Israel during their wilderness wanderings; Christ in the midst of his twelve disciples and in the future our Lord as the completed manifestation of the Memorial Name, surrounded by cleansed, redeemed, mortal Israel, the twelve tribe nucleus of the mortal nations of the earth.